"The three-toed sloth lives a peaceful, vegetarian life in perfect harmony with its environment" (Martel 3).
"Upside down Yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing" (Martel 4).
“I chose the sloth because its demeanor—calm, quiet and introspective—did something to soothe my shattered self,” (Martel 3).
Physical Characteristics:
Furry
three long claws
can have green in its fur from algae due to moving so slowly
Fur ranges naturally from gray to brown.
Common Characteristics/Habits/Traits (Research):
Extremely slow
spend most time in trees
can turn their heads 270 degrees (National Geographic)
good swimmers
clumsy on land
so slow they often pass beneath the notice of predators
In Life of Pi, Martel used the three-toed sloth to represent Pi's preferred idea of religion and faith. Pi led an extremely complex and brutal life, and the simplicity and peace brought by the sloth "did something to soothe [his] shattered self" (Martel 3). After the journey, Pi considered himself to be "shattered," and he had to find a way to pick up the pieces. The sloth, with its lethargic movements and unmotivated lifestyle, shows Pi that animals do not have to be dangerous to survive. Despite the obvious vulnerabilities in the sloth species, they have somehow survived against the odds. To Pi, this anomaly connects to his religion, and he compares them to "Upside down Yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing" (Martel 4). To him, the sloth allows him a way to deal with his past tragedies, as it gives him something better to believe in. Something that cannot be explained through "scientific probing," he has to rely on his faith.
Hyena
References from the Novel:
“The strongest jaws in nature. Don’t think that they’re cowardly or that they only eat carrion. They’re not and they don’t! They’ll start eating you while you’re still alive.” (Martel 19).
"bear like, balding looking head of a spotted hyena" (Martel 51)
"There couldn’t be both a hyena and a tiger in such a small space" (Martel 51).
"I heard a hyena's scream" (Martel 52)
"It was the hyena that worried me" (Martel 53).
"The hyena’s behaviour was highly unpredictable and it could decide to attack me without warning" (Martel 53).
"The typical look of a hyena–blank and frank, the curiosity apparent with nothing of themental set revealed, jaw hanging open, big ears sticking up rigidly, eyes bright and black" (Martel 53).
"the spotted hyena is not well served by its appearance. It is ugly beyond redemption." (Martel 53).
"A Hyena’s catholicity of taste is so indiscriminate it nearly forces admiration" (Martel 117).
"It’s an open question as to what hyenas wont eat" (Martel 54).
"The hyena had attacked the zebra"
"I felt intense hatred for the hyena" (Martel 54).
"with only a snarl for notice, the hyena went amok" (Martel 57).
"The zebra’s attempts at self preservation only whipped the hyena into a frenzy of snarling and biting" (Martel 57).
"The hyena’s roar filled the higher range of what my ears could hear" (Martel 58).
Physical Characteristics:
Strong jaws
front legs are longer than hind legs
spotted
generally ginger colored, or dull grey
large round head
short tail
Common Characteristics/Habits/Traits (Research):
Carnivorous
scavengers
their call resembles human laughter
Intelligent
Natural Habitat:
Africa
Asia
Indian subcontinent
Common Symbolism:
Generally associated with death
some people thought they could replicate human voice and call the names of their victims
sometimes thought to be demons or witches
associated with divination
gluttony, uncleanliness, and cowardice (Newworldencyclopedia.org)
wisdom/cleverness
Paragraph explaining what Martel used this animal to represent:
In Life of Pi, Martel used the hyena to represent the evil and savagery that can come out during harsh times. The reason Martel chose the hyena is because that species already has negative connotations and is disliked and looked down upon by most people. The preconceptions build a basis for the disgust Martel wants in his readers. His use of the hyena adds to the shock of the ending with the Cook, because when it is an animal the readers can rationalize it in a way, by saying it is just a cruel species by nature. This adds to the irony at the end, because readers can not say that it is savage because it is human. Martel shows how evil may not be immediately obvious, or clear. Part of the danger comes from not knowing when they will snap. Pi expresses his concerns about the hyena,saying "The hyena’s behavior was highly unpredictable and it could decide to attack me without warning" (Martel 53). The unpredictability of evil makes it all the more terrifying, as you never know when it will come out. The hyena was not causing any trouble in the beginning of the journey, as he was too cowardly to fight the other animals because he was afraid Richard Parker would attack him. However, desperation and hunger gave it the motivation to follow it's instincts and he killed the zebra and orangutan very quickly, once he was
confident Richard Parker wouldn't attack. The hyena clearly showed the brutality that can be found everywhere.
"Twice I saw an albatross. Each flew by high in the air without taking any notice of us...They were something supernatural and incomprehensible" (Martel 230).
"None of the birds ever announced land" (Martel 232).
"supernatural and incomprehensible" (Martel 267).
Physical Characteristics:
Longest wingspan of any bird
weigh up to 22 pounds (National Geographic: Albatross)
Common Characteristics/Habits/Traits (Research):
Spend mos time over the water
Mostly eat fish
Believed to mate for life
Can drink salt water
Glides rather than flying to conserve energy
Natural Habitat:
Throughout the southern pacific
Remote islands when breeding
Common Symbolism:
common belief among sailors that "these enormous sea-birds embodied the souls of drowned sailors" (a-z-animals.com)
bad luck
"In English, the word 'albatross' invokes a meaning that suggests a person who (figuratively) has an albatross is carrying an emotional burden, a weight around their neck" (a-z-animals.com).
Hope for land
emotional burden
Paragraph explaining what Martel used this animal to represent:
In Life of Pi, Martel uses the birds as a symbol of Pi's fleeting hope throughout the journey. To sailors, birds can usually be expected to show signs of land, so every time Pi saw a bird, he got hopeful that he would be safe soon. Pi "took each one to be an angel announcing nearby land" (Martel 265). Pi sees the birds as "angels" to be worshiped, something unearthly and beautiful that could possibly help him. The birds announced the possibility of hope for a future life. However, the birds stayed distanced from Pi, they "Took no notice of us" (Martel 267). Martel used these birds as a way to show Pi that there was something there, it just could not help him. Pi viewed the birds like he viewed gods, as something "supernatural and incomprehensible" (Martel 267). The six birds that flew over his head were added to the story to give Pi hope for rescue so he would not give up, and to represent how close yet far God was from him during that time. Watching, but not giving any aid. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/albatross/ http://a-z-animals.com/animals/albatross/ http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173253
Zebra
References from the Novel:
"From time to time the zebra shook its head and barked and snorted. Otherwise it lay quietly" (Martel 109).
"Even the zebra, which at first snorted each time the hyena raced by its head, fell into a stupor" (Martel 115).
"At times the zebra made noises about the predator just behind it, but mostly it lay in hopeless and sullen silence" (Martel 119).
"the zebra came to life to defend itself" (Martel 125).
"The zebra was being eaten alive from the inside" (125).
"I had no idea a living being could sustain so much injury and go on living" (Martel 128).
Paragraph: In life of Pi, by Yann Martel, Martel included the zebra as a symbol to show the dangers of a passive and peaceful mentality in a dangerous situation. The zebra is the first of the animals to be killed on the boat, ripped apart and eaten by the hyena. A zebra is generally thought to show freedom and grace, and the combination of opposites. The zebra and the hyena bring together the two opposites of Pi's spirit. The zebra moved very little, "From time to time the zebra shook its head and barked and snorted. Otherwise it lay quietly" (Martel 109). It showed no fighting or survival instincts that would allow it to defend itself against the hungry hyena. If Pi decided to "lay quietly" and simply wait for rescue, he would have little to no chance of survival. The hyena, or Richard Parker would have immediately killed him. Pi could not withdraw into himself and hide, he needed to be aggressive and loud with Richard Parker, blowing the orange whistle and asserting his dominance. The zebra was a stunning animal, but it's lack of dominant instincts led to its imminent demise. It never fought, it never really seemed to care enough about its life to fear the hyena or tiger, "At times the zebra made noises about the predator just behind it, but mostly it lay in hopeless and sullen silence" (Martel 119). Pi cannot become "hopeless," hope is one of the few things he has to help him. Hope for rescue, hope for seeing his family again, hope that he will reach land, Pi only has hope to keep him going. The zebra had no hope for surviving the hyena's brutality, he could only hold on for so long. If Pi had lost all hope, and had not fought, he too would have died with the zebra and orangutan.
Three-Toed SlothThree-Toed Slothtoc
Hyena
Albatross
Zebra
Table of Contents
References from the Novel:
- "The three-toed sloth lives a peaceful, vegetarian life in perfect harmony with its environment" (Martel 3).
- "Upside down Yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing" (Martel 4).
- “I chose the sloth because its demeanor—calm, quiet and introspective—did something to soothe my shattered self,” (Martel 3).
Physical Characteristics:- Furry
- three long claws
- can have green in its fur from algae due to moving so slowly
- Fur ranges naturally from gray to brown.
Common Characteristics/Habits/Traits (Research):- Extremely slow
- spend most time in trees
- can turn their heads 270 degrees (National Geographic)
- good swimmers
- clumsy on land
- so slow they often pass beneath the notice of predators
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/three-toed-sloth/http://animals.mom.me/threetoed-sloth-5335.html
Natural Habitat:
- Generally they live in the treetops
- Central and South America
Common Symbolism:- Seen as "A sin against God" (Catholic.com)
- represents laziness, and the lack of fulling your duties(Animalfactsencyclopedia.com)
- sloth is one of the deadly sins
http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/the-sin-of-slothhttp://www.animalfactsencyclopedia.com/Sloth-facts.html
Paragraph explaining what Martel used this animal to represent:
In Life of Pi, Martel used the three-toed sloth to represent Pi's preferred idea of religion and faith. Pi led an extremely complex and brutal life, and the simplicity and peace brought by the sloth "did something to soothe [his] shattered self" (Martel 3). After the journey, Pi considered himself to be "shattered," and he had to find a way to pick up the pieces. The sloth, with its lethargic movements and unmotivated lifestyle, shows Pi that animals do not have to be dangerous to survive. Despite the obvious vulnerabilities in the sloth species, they have somehow survived against the odds. To Pi, this anomaly connects to his religion, and he compares them to "Upside down Yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing" (Martel 4). To him, the sloth allows him a way to deal with his past tragedies, as it gives him something better to believe in. Something that cannot be explained through "scientific probing," he has to rely on his faith.
Hyena
References from the Novel:
- “The strongest jaws in nature. Don’t think that they’re cowardly or that they only eat carrion. They’re not and they don’t! They’ll start eating you while you’re still alive.” (Martel 19).
- "bear like, balding looking head of a spotted hyena" (Martel 51)
- "There couldn’t be both a hyena and a tiger in such a small space" (Martel 51).
- "I heard a hyena's scream" (Martel 52)
- "It was the hyena that worried me" (Martel 53).
- "The hyena’s behaviour was highly unpredictable and it could decide to attack me without warning" (Martel 53).
- "The typical look of a hyena–blank and frank, the curiosity apparent with nothing of themental set revealed, jaw hanging open, big ears sticking up rigidly, eyes bright and black" (Martel 53).
- "the spotted hyena is not well served by its appearance. It is ugly beyond redemption." (Martel 53).
- "A Hyena’s catholicity of taste is so indiscriminate it nearly forces admiration" (Martel 117).
- "It’s an open question as to what hyenas wont eat" (Martel 54).
- "The hyena had attacked the zebra"
- "I felt intense hatred for the hyena" (Martel 54).
- "with only a snarl for notice, the hyena went amok" (Martel 57).
- "The zebra’s attempts at self preservation only whipped the hyena into a frenzy of snarling and biting" (Martel 57).
- "The hyena’s roar filled the higher range of what my ears could hear" (Martel 58).
Physical Characteristics:- Strong jaws
- front legs are longer than hind legs
- spotted
- generally ginger colored, or dull grey
- large round head
- short tail
Common Characteristics/Habits/Traits (Research):- Carnivorous
- scavengers
- their call resembles human laughter
- Intelligent
Natural Habitat:- Africa
- Asia
- Indian subcontinent
Common Symbolism:- Generally associated with death
- some people thought they could replicate human voice and call the names of their victims
- sometimes thought to be demons or witches
- associated with divination
- gluttony, uncleanliness, and cowardice (Newworldencyclopedia.org)
- wisdom/cleverness
Paragraph explaining what Martel used this animal to represent:In Life of Pi, Martel used the hyena to represent the evil and savagery that can come out during harsh times. The reason Martel chose the hyena is because that species already has negative connotations and is disliked and looked down upon by most people. The preconceptions build a basis for the disgust Martel wants in his readers. His use of the hyena adds to the shock of the ending with the Cook, because when it is an animal the readers can rationalize it in a way, by saying it is just a cruel species by nature. This adds to the irony at the end, because readers can not say that it is savage because it is human. Martel shows how evil may not be immediately obvious, or clear. Part of the danger comes from not knowing when they will snap. Pi expresses his concerns about the hyena,saying "The hyena’s behavior was highly unpredictable and it could decide to attack me without warning" (Martel 53). The unpredictability of evil makes it all the more terrifying, as you never know when it will come out. The hyena was not causing any trouble in the beginning of the journey, as he was too cowardly to fight the other animals because he was afraid Richard Parker would attack him. However, desperation and hunger gave it the motivation to follow it's instincts and he killed the zebra and orangutan very quickly, once he was
confident Richard Parker wouldn't attack. The hyena clearly showed the brutality that can be found everywhere.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Hyena
http://www.hyaenidae.org/the-hyaenidae/spotted-hyena-crocuta-crocuta/crocuta-physical-description.html
Albatross
References from the Novel:
Physical Characteristics:
- Longest wingspan of any bird
- weigh up to 22 pounds (National Geographic: Albatross)
Common Characteristics/Habits/Traits (Research):- Spend mos time over the water
- Mostly eat fish
- Believed to mate for life
- Can drink salt water
- Glides rather than flying to conserve energy
Natural Habitat:- Throughout the southern pacific
- Remote islands when breeding
Common Symbolism:- common belief among sailors that "these enormous sea-birds embodied the souls of drowned sailors" (a-z-animals.com)
- bad luck
- "In English, the word 'albatross' invokes a meaning that suggests a person who (figuratively) has an albatross is carrying an emotional burden, a weight around their neck" (a-z-animals.com).
- Hope for land
- emotional burden
Paragraph explaining what Martel used this animal to represent:In Life of Pi, Martel uses the birds as a symbol of Pi's fleeting hope throughout the journey. To sailors, birds can usually be expected to show signs of land, so every time Pi saw a bird, he got hopeful that he would be safe soon. Pi "took each one to be an angel announcing nearby land" (Martel 265). Pi sees the birds as "angels" to be worshiped, something unearthly and beautiful that could possibly help him. The birds announced the possibility of hope for a future life. However, the birds stayed distanced from Pi, they "Took no notice of us" (Martel 267). Martel used these birds as a way to show Pi that there was something there, it just could not help him. Pi viewed the birds like he viewed gods, as something "supernatural and incomprehensible" (Martel 267). The six birds that flew over his head were added to the story to give Pi hope for rescue so he would not give up, and to represent how close yet far God was from him during that time. Watching, but not giving any aid.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/albatross/
http://a-z-animals.com/animals/albatross/
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173253
Zebra
References from the Novel:
- "From time to time the zebra shook its head and barked and snorted. Otherwise it lay quietly" (Martel 109).
- "Even the zebra, which at first snorted each time the hyena raced by its head, fell into a stupor" (Martel 115).
- "At times the zebra made noises about the predator just behind it, but mostly it lay in hopeless and sullen silence" (Martel 119).
- "the zebra came to life to defend itself" (Martel 125).
- "The zebra was being eaten alive from the inside" (125).
- "I had no idea a living being could sustain so much injury and go on living" (Martel 128).
Physical Characteristics:- Black and white stripes
- Blends in with a herd
- Each zebra has a unique pattern (http://www.livescience.com/27443-zebras.html)
Common Characteristics/Habits/Traits (Research):- Travel in a herd
- Communicate through expressions and sounds
- usually runs away from a fight (http://www.livescience.com/27443-zebras.html)
Habitat: AfricaSymbolism:
Paragraph:
In life of Pi, by Yann Martel, Martel included the zebra as a symbol to show the dangers of a passive and peaceful mentality in a dangerous situation.
The zebra is the first of the animals to be killed on the boat, ripped apart and eaten by the hyena. A zebra is generally thought to show freedom and grace, and the combination of opposites. The zebra and the hyena bring together the two opposites of Pi's spirit. The zebra moved very little, "From time to time the zebra shook its head and barked and snorted. Otherwise it lay quietly" (Martel 109). It showed no fighting or survival instincts that would allow it to defend itself against the hungry hyena. If Pi decided to "lay quietly" and simply wait for rescue, he would have little to no chance of survival. The hyena, or Richard Parker would have immediately killed him. Pi could not withdraw into himself and hide, he needed to be aggressive and loud with Richard Parker, blowing the orange whistle and asserting his dominance. The zebra was a stunning animal, but it's lack of dominant instincts led to its imminent demise. It never fought, it never really seemed to care enough about its life to fear the hyena or tiger, "At times the zebra made noises about the predator just behind it, but mostly it lay in hopeless and sullen silence" (Martel 119). Pi cannot become "hopeless," hope is one of the few things he has to help him. Hope for rescue, hope for seeing his family again, hope that he will reach land, Pi only has hope to keep him going. The zebra had no hope for surviving the hyena's brutality, he could only hold on for so long. If Pi had lost all hope, and had not fought, he too would have died with the zebra and orangutan.
http://www.livescience.com/27443-zebras.html